STORRY Shares Claymation Video for "Up"

The Juno-nominated artist's clip offers important lessons in turbulent times

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Mar 24, 2020

Before the coronavirus pandemic triggered an avalanche of cancellations and postponements, Toronto's STORRY was set to give her claymation music video for "Up" a hometown premiere at the Toronto Short Film Festival. Now, the Juno-nominated artist has rolled out the clip for listeners to enjoy in self-isolation.

The video, which was written, directed, produced and edited by STORRY, follows a man a couple whose relationship and immediate surroundings soon become casualties of the man's insatiable appetite. All the while, his partner struggles to stay by his side and clean up the mess.

"Often, we excuse people we love for their misbehaviour because we empathize and feel we know their true essence. But even killers have mothers or friends or partners who love them and who see the best in them. And we take it upon ourselves to clean up after their mess, hoping that they will change, hoping that they will soon return to their true selves," STORRY said of the video's themes in a statement.

Elaborating in sharing the video on Instagram, she added the following:

We are being humbled right now by the universe, realizing that all this 'more' we desired, that we thought could make us happy, that we proclaimed was for the betterment of our families or even humanity, could be taken from us in an instant. We need to slow things down, act as a collective instead of these egotistical individuals we've become, in order to actually be able to see change in our world. We must now look within for our happiness and be grateful. Not in things... because things and money and stuff come and go. But our health, the days we get to look our loved ones in the face and share a meal and get to hug them, THAT is life.

Visuals for "Up" were shot in the artist's basement over a four month period. Animation, character and set design were handled by STORRY, Charlotte Gaj and Rollin Waugh.

In spite of its Toronto premiere being axed, the video for "Up" previously nabbed awards for Best Editing at the Montreal International Wreath Film Festival and Best Animated Music Video at jellyFEST in Los Angeles. It was also nominated for Best Animated and Best Narrative Music Video at the Austin Music Video Festival and Best Animated Short at the Rome International Film Festival.

"Up" comes from STORRY's album CH III: The Come Up, which arrived this past February. The 2019 single "Another Man" recently netted her a 2020 Juno Award nomination for Reggae Recording of the Year.

STORRY will perform songs from CH III and unreleased material during a livestream concert on March 28 at 9 p.m. ET. You can tune in here.

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